Closure hinge



E. R. GIONET Oct. 20, 1964 CLOSURE HINGEY Filed Jan. l1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Illini- ATTORNEY E. R. GlONET CLOSUREHINGE Oct. 20, 1964' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 1l, 1961 ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,153,260 Patented Oct. 20, 1964 CLOS *is HINGE Edmond R. Gionet, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Ian. A11, 1961, Ser. No. 82,084

4 Claims. (Cl. lai-142) This invention relates to closure hinges and more particularly to a closure hinge and hold open.

The hinge and hold open of this invention is of very simple construction and yet provides a hinge for mounting a vehicle door on a vehicle body support member and also provides a multi-stage hold open for releasably holding the ydoor in a plurality of open positions. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a pair of relatively movable hinge members are respectively secured to a vehicle body support member and a vehicle door. A resilient rod includes a first leg which pivotally interconnects the hinge members to provide the hinge pivot and a second leg extending generally laterally to the rst leg and parallel to the path of swinging movement of the hinge members. The stationary hinge member includes a notched portion which receives the second leg of the rod so as to hold the rod stationary during movement of the hinge members relative to each other. The second leg further includes a lateral end portion having a shoulder located in the path of swinging movement of the movablehinge member. The movable hinge membe-r includes a plurality of spaced notches on the edge thereof, with each notch being defined by cam ramp surfaces. The shoulder of the rod is out of engagement with the movable hinge member in the closed position of the door. Upon opening movement of the door, this shoulder will engage one of the cam ramps of the movable hinge member so as to twist the second leg and end portion of the rod relative to thefirst leg as 'the shoulder of the rod moves alongthe cam ramp surface and into engagement with a notch of the movable hinge `member to provide a first-stage hold open.V Thereafter, upon fur-` ther opening movement of the door, the second leg and end portion of the rod are again twisted as the shoulder of the rod moves out of engagement with the iirst notch and into engagement with the next successivenotch to provide a second stage hold open in the fully open position of the door. As many notches may be provided mounted thereon by a hinge and hold open according to this invention, with the closure being shown in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE l showing the closure in open position;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing t the first stage hold open in a partially open position of the closure; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 6 6 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings a `vehicle body support member 10, such as a body pillar, includes an outer wall 12 of multiple thickness metal which is integral with Van end wall 14. Wall 12 includes a rabbeted portion 16 adjacent the juncture of this wall with wall 14, with a slot 1S being provided in the rabbeted portion 16 and end wall 14 to allow movement offa gooseneck type male hinge member 20 relative to Ithese walls. The inner member walls 12 and `14 provides the inner wall 22 of support member 10, with' FIGURE l, with door 26 further including a laterally as desired to provide a single or multi-stage hold open for the hinge.

' The primary object of this invention is to provide an proved hinge and hold open which includes a rod mem,

ber having one leg thereof providing the hinge pivot, and the other leg thereof extending laterally thereto and generally parallel to the'path of swinging movement of the hinge members, with the other leg including means cooperating with one of the hinge members to provide the hold open and beingtorsionally movable relative to the one leg during engagement and disengagement of the cooperating means.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein: 1 Y

FIGURE 1 is a sectional View of a vehicle body in` cluding a body support member and a closure swingably extending flange 32 received Within the rabbeted portion 16 in the closed position of the door.

The hinge member 20 includes a mounting iiange 34 bolted at 36 to the end wall 30 of door 26. The other end-of the hinge member 20 is pivotally supported on the member l0 by a female hinge member or box 38 of generally `U-shaped construction and including a pair of mounting flanges 40 bolted at 42 to the wall 22 of member 10. The upper and lower walls 44 and 46,'respectively, of the hinge box are interconnected by spaced webs 48,`with the lower wall 46 further including a downwardly extending bent tab 50 provided with a notch 52.'

A generallyL-shaped resilent rod or member 54 includes a first leg 56 which extends through aligned openings in the hinge box 3S and the hinge member 20 to provide the hinge pivot. A second leg 5S of member 54 is located laterally to the leg 56 and generally parallel to the path of swinging movement of the hinge members 20 and 38. The outer end of the leg 5S is received With-V in thenotch 52, as shown in FIGURE 6 so that the member 58 is held stationary by the hinge box 38 during movement of the hinge member 20 relative to both the hinge box and the rod. The outer end ofthe member 58 includes a lateral extension 60 which is bent so as to form an upwardly extending shoulder 62 thereon. The shoulder 62 is located in the path of swinging movement of the loweredge of the hinge member 20 and is out of engagement with the hinge member 20 in the closed position of the door 26, as shown in FIGURE l.

Upon initial opening movement of the door 26, the hinge member 20 will swing outboard of the body or counterclockwise, as viewed in FIGURE l. Upon initial opening movement of the door 26, a cam ramp surface .64 of a lug 65 on the lower edge of the hinge member 20 will engage the shoulder 62 to cause this shoulder to ride downwardly along the ramp 64 and be received within a notch 66 immediately adjacent the ramp 64 to provide a first stage hold open. During this movement of the shoulder 62 along the ramp 64, the extension 60 and leg 58 of member 54 will twist as a unit relative e3 to the leg 56, as the leg 58 rotates within the notch 52, this notch preventing any lateral movement of the leg 58 to the leg 56.

'Thereaften upon further opening movement of the door '26, a cam ramp surface 68 which defines one side of the notch 66 will again cause the extension 6G and leg 5S to twist relative to the leg 56 as the shoulder 62 t moves downwardly along thisY cam ramp surface and into engagement with a flat surface 70. The extension 60 and leg 58 remain in twisted position until the door 26 has moved to a fully open position wherein the shoulder 62 will then move upwardly and into engagement with a cam ramp surface 72 to provide a second stage 'hold open in the fully open position of the door 26.

It is believed that the movement of the member 54 relative to the hinge member during closing movement of the door 26 will be apparent from the foregoing description.

It will also be noted that the extension 60 and leg 58 are in an untwisted or free position only when the shoulder 62 engages the notch 66, the ramp surface 72 or when the door is in a fully closed position. lt will also be noted that a lead in-lead out short flat Surface 74 is provided immediately adjacent the ramp 64. This prolongs theuseful life of the rod on member 54. The engagement of the shoulder 62 with the surface 78, intermediate the positive first stage and second stage hold opens, can also be said to provide a hold open since the leg 5d and extension 60 are in a twisted position during this engagement and will frictionally hold-the door in this intermediate position, depending, of course, on the inclination ofthe hinge axis and the weight of the door 26.

"Thus, this invention provides a new and improved hinge and multistage hold open.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge and hold open comprising, in combination, a hinge box member including at least one wall,ahinge arm member adapted to be pivotally connected to said box for 'swinging movement relative to said wall between open and closed positions, a generally L-shaped resilient member having one leg thereof pivotally connecting said hinge members and the other leg thereof extending generally parallel to the path of swinging movement of said arm,member and being torsionally movable about` its axis, said other leg including tirst detent shoulder means, means on said hinge box` member securing said other leg vthereto and permitting said torsional movement thereof about its axis, second detent shoulder shoulder means on said hinge arm member, movement of said hinge Varm member relative to saidr hinge box member to open position causing said second detent shoulder means to engage said iirst detent shoulder means' and twist said other leg about its axis as said detent shoulder means move relative to each other into opposite engagement to provide a releasable hold open, said o-ther leg being untwisted while said iirst shoulder means is in said opposite engagement with said second shoulder means.

2. A hingeY andV hold open comprising, in combina-V tion, a hinge box member including at least one wall, a hinge arm member located to one side of said Wall and v fg.

adapted to be pivotally connected to said box for swinging movement relative to said wall between open and closed positions, 'a generally Lshaped resilient member having one leg thereof pivotally connecting said hinge members and the other leg thereof located to lthe other side of .said wall and extending generally parallel to the path of swinging movement of saidK hinge arm member and being torsionally movable about its axis,l said other leg including iirst detent shoulder means, means on said hinge box member securing said other leg thereto and permitting torsional movement thereof about its axis, spaced second and third detent shoulder means on said hinge arm member providing a detent notch, movement of said hinge arm memberv relative to said hinge box member toward open position causing said second detent shoulder means to engage said first detent shoulder means and twist said other leg about its axis as said irst and second detent shoulder means move relative to each other and said iii-st shoulder means moves into engagement with said notch to provide a releasable hold open, said other leg being untwisted while said first shoulder means is in engagement with said notch.

3. A hinge and hold open' according to claim 2 wherein further movement of said hinge arm member relative to said hinge box member toward open position causes said third detent shoulder means to engagesaid rst detent shoulder means and twist said other leg about its axis as said iirst and third, detent Vshoulder means move relative toeach otherinto opposite engagement to .provide a releasable hold open, said other leg being untwisted while said first shoulder means is in said opposite engagement with said third shoulder means.

4. A hinge and hold open comprising, in combination, a pair of hinge members, one being movable relative to the other between open and closed positions, a resilient member having one end thereof secured to said other. hinge member and including a Vportion having an axis extending generally parallel to the path of swinging movement of said one member, said portion being twistable about said axis and including first detent -shoulder means adjacent a terminal end thereof, second detent shoulder means on said one hinge member, movement of said one hinge member relative to said other hinge member to open position causing said second detent shoulder meansv to engage said iirst detent shoulder means and twist said portion about-said `axis as said first and second detent shoulder means move relative to each other ,into opposite engagement to provide a releasable hold open, said portion being untwisted while said lirst detent shoulder means isin said opposite engagement with said second 4detent shoulder means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A HINGE AND HOLD OPEN COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HINGE BOX MEMBER INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE WALL, A HINGE ARM MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BOX FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID WALL BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, A GENERALLY L-SHAPED RESILIENT MEMBER HAVING ONE LEG THEREOF PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID HINGE MEMBERS AND THE OTHER LEG THEREOF EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE PATH OF SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM MEMBER AND BEING TORSIONALLY MOVEABLE ABOUT ITS AXIS, SAID OTHER LEG INCLUDING FIRST DETENT SHOULDER MEANS, MEANS ON SAID HINGE BOX MEMBER SECURING SAID OTHER LEG THERETO AND PERMITTING SAID TORSIONAL MOVEMENT THEREOF ABOUT ITS AXIS, SECOND DETENT SHOULDER SHOULDER MEANS ON SAID HINGE ARM MEMBER, MOVEMENT OF SAID HINGE ARM MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID HINGE BOX MEMBER TO OPEN POSITION CAUSING SAID SECOND DETENT SHOULDER MEANS TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST DETENT SHOULDER MEANS AND TWIST SAID OTHER LEG ABOUT ITS AXIS AS SAID DETENT SHOULDER MEANS MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER INTO OPPOSITE ENGAGEMENT TO PROVIDE A RELEASABLE HOLD OPEN, SAID OTHER LEG BEING UNTWISTED WHILE SAID FIRST SHOULDER MEANS IS IN SAID OPPOSITE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND SHOULDER MEANS. 